


Fangs and Claws

by Xycuro



Series: Fratt Week #2 & #3 [2]
Category: Daredevil (Comics), Marvel, Punisher (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood Drinking, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Turned Into Vampire, Idiots in Love, Injury Recovery, M/M, Monster Boyfriends, Moon Knight is a good bro, Pining, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Frank Castle, Werewolf Matt Murdock, fratt week #3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27307045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xycuro/pseuds/Xycuro
Summary: Frank learns that vampirism isn't as easy to hide as he originally thought it would be.He also discovers something he never really noticed before.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Series: Fratt Week #2 & #3 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127306
Comments: 11
Kudos: 59
Collections: Fratt Week





	Fangs and Claws

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so I'm still working on my main fic, trust me, but I wrote something for this frattweek because I didn't want to miss one prompt, so here's another rushed out fic. This semester has been kicking my ass and I've just been working this whole week. This story was my little "break" before I go back to assignment hell. I went for a Vampire/Werewolf au but usually Matt's the vampire and Frank's the werewolf, so I decided to do a little swap and came up with this. The prompt is Wood and it's... there somewhere lol. 
> 
> No beta, I turned on Grammarly and called it a day. This is what we got. 
> 
> Happy Halloween!

Frank knew that everything supernatural wasn't just myths and legends.

It was real. 

Painfully real. 

Hell, there was a whole goddamn group of vigilantes dedicated to stopping any evil supernatural creatures. They had a few members that were vampires with knives, witches, flaming skeletons in leather, monster hunters with immunities, and a bunch of sorcerers. It was like if Spirit Halloween manifested and formed their own little Justice League. 

Frank stayed away from that nonsense, no matter how many times Spector or Blaze or even Doctor fucking Strange tried to convince him otherwise. That kind of life wasn't for him. He was perfectly fine sticking with human versus human fights, with or without guns. 

Of course, if Spector pulled his "But you owe me for that _one_ favor" bullshit, sometimes— if Frank was in a good mood— he'd play along and help the Midnight Sons since their boy Moon Knight asked oh so nicely. Other times, Spector would bring Blaze into the picture and… well, you can't really say no to Ghost Rider. 

Midnight Sons missions were intense, and they did _not_ mess around whatsoever. 

Especially when Blade was the one leading. How he can manage to handle two Ghost Riders, a living vampire, and _Moon Knight,_ Frank had no idea. But he sure as hell had given Blade a lot of respect for it. 

Frank sometimes helped them with their missions, and sometimes he didn't. He didn't mind at first (only when Spector _didn't_ ask him), he took some gratification in blowing up some demon heads and ripping apart a few ghouls.

Unfortunately, that gratification didn't last long enough when Frank got bitten by a vampire. 

It was horrible— and stupid— with how it happened. The one time Frank didn't pay attention and cover his six. The one time he was too distracted in stabbing the shit out of one undead bloodsucker only for another one to pop out of nowhere and bite him in the shoulder. His shoulder was exposed at the time, thanks to _another_ vampire that clawed on his shirt earlier. Frank remembered screaming in pain as the vampire shoved him to the ground while taking in every drop of blood they can get. However, the scream was enough for Moon Knight to turn around and pull the vampire off of him before killing them completely. 

" _Fuck!_ Castle stay with me, hold on," Spector said as he dragged him away from the fight. "Blade, a little help here!" 

The rest of it was too hazy for Frank to remember. All he remembered was the mission going south and a lot of worried people around him before passing out from blood loss. Frank woke up again briefly, only to regret that decision as his entire body felt like it was going through torture. He vaguely remembered the sweat that drenched his skin and the way his muscles shook uncontrollably. It was as if there was a sickness spreading inside him that poisoned him at a rapid pace. It was painful. It was _hell._ There were people there trying to help him, but Frank couldn't tell. He just wanted it to _end._ Then something went into his arm and Frank fell unconscious again. 

The next time he woke up, Frank was in a bed and his body felt normal again. Well… somewhat normal. The sudden chills now and then were a part of him and a certain craving didn't go away too easily. It's probably never going to leave anytime soon. Frank's nose felt a lot more sensitive than before, specifically when smelling _other_ supernatural creatures, and he was pretty sure he didn't have perfect night vision back then. Morbius had to sit him down when he told the news, and Frank didn't enjoy a single bit of it.   
  


But hey, being a newly turned vampire was his life now. Better get used to it. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Frank continued with his regular missions from now on. As much as he appreciated the support he got from the Midnight Sons, Frank didn't enjoy the whole Vampire 101 training from Blade or Hannibal King. Was it useful? Definitely. Was it annoying? Absolutely. The one thing Frank was worried about was the whole blood thing. Fortunately, vampires can last weeks without it, and if they ever needed a quick pint, animal blood worked just as fine. Some vampires were just greedy, cruel bastards, and went after humans just because they can. Human blood was an addiction, and Frank did _not_ want to develop that addiction anytime soon.

Days and nights went on as normal as they can be. Frank stuck with the idea of going to the woods every month or so to hunt down some food. Sustain himself a little bit before going off into the city and continue being the Punisher. Frank was glad the whole "Vampires can't walk in the daylight because of the sun" bullshit depended on the vampire, and Frank just so happened to be bitten by a day walker. He was mostly a morning person, and relaxing under the sun in a park with a book in his hand was one of his favorite pastimes. The night vision helped immensely on his part, and the new sense of smell wasn't so bad. It would be useful for any Midnight Sons mission, but ever since the vampire attack, Frank decided it was best to lay low and be on his own for a bit. 

Which didn't last very long whenever Daredevil was around. 

Red was still an annoying pain in the ass sometimes, but when they're not fighting each other, they make a pretty good team. Frank doesn't say it out loud, but it was an improvement in comparison to the times where Spider-Man had to be the mediator in their quarrels. Other than his missions and helping Spector, Frank found himself working with Red more often. It was better than hunting down zombies that's for sure. And the days where they just went as Matt Murdock and Pete Castiglione weren't horrible either. Frank had to admit those days were… nice. Comfortable. Simple. Red was good company when he wasn't spewing out a speech about morality or throwing punches. Frank was starting to like his company a little more than usual… but he didn't think about it too much. No time to figure out what was going on with _that._

After the vampire incident, Frank isolated himself for a while and worked on his own. No one else needed to know what was going on with him, nor did they need to know that the Punisher was now a vampire. That's his secret to keep. Except that secret was difficult to keep hidden when the Devil was a human lie detector.   
  


"Is everything alright?" Red casually asked one night.  
  


Frank was doing recon at a rooftop that had the perfect view of private property a crime family-owned. There were rumors of two crime families trying to go all out with a war and a lot of innocent people were getting caught in the crossfire. Neither Frank nor Red wanted any of that to continue. 

"It's going," Frank simply said. He figured if he kept his answers vague then Red wouldn't suspect a thing. "Just been busy is all." 

It was the truth for the most part.

"I've heard about the cartel takedown from a few weeks ago and the warehouse explosion from two nights ago."

"No one got hurt from the cartel takedown, Red, no need for a sermon. As for the explosion, I can't guarantee that _everyone_ survived that."

He can sense Red's disappointment from the way his shoulders sagged. Frank didn't feel a single twinge of guilt as usual. Bastards were selling drugs to children and kidnapping women for sex slave auctions, they deserved it. 

"And yet you made it out of that explosion just fine," Red added. 

Shit. Frank had already gotten so used to his rapid healing that he practically forgot about it. The Punisher escaping the explosion was one thing, but being the only one unscathed by it while every other survivor suffered injuries and inhaled smoke was too suspicious. No wonder Red was asking about it, it didn't add up. 

"Maybe I was lucky." 

Red snorted. "Right, lucky. A little odd but… weirder things have happened before."

 _Tell me about it_ , Frank thought. 

The subject was dropped just like that, and eventually, recon was wrapped up quickly when Red tilted his head, listening to the city. Frank already knew what that meant, so he wasted no time in packing up his gear and offering Red a ride to where trouble was. 

Some assholes decided it was a great idea to assault a couple in an alleyway. They spat harsh insults at them and slurs that made Frank want to rip their throats out. However, he knew that wouldn't be good on anyone's parts, and he did _not_ want to feed on human blood, especially not from scumbags like them.

Red got out of the car and went around the corner to climb up the fire escape. He jumped down behind the assaulters, giving Frank enough time to make his entrance. They both fought them back while making sure the couple was away from the fight. One of the assaulters took a good look at Frank and instantly dropped the gun in his hands. He was _whimpering,_ scared absolute shitless when the Punisher stalked towards them. Red had noticed once he knocked out the other one, and he took the opportunity to do the same to the one muttering out _"Please! Stay away! No no no no no…"_

The bastard was already begging for mercy from the Punisher. Hah. As if. But today was his lucky day since Daredevil wasn't going to let him finish them off. Oh well.

Red checked up on the couple, gave them some reassurance while Frank called the precinct with his burner phone. The couple thanked Red wholeheartedly and made their way to safety. The assaulters were tied up and the two vigilantes made their way out of the area. 

Frank suspected that the assaulter was terrified because he was facing the Punisher. It made sense, a lot of assholes would be shitting themselves once they took a good look at the skull logo. But Frank noticed that same fear from the couple. One of them shuddered when he turned around to look at them. The other kept their attention on Red as if they were trying to avoid Frank's gaze. 

Again, it was probably because he's the Punisher. It's not every day that people see him up close and live another day.

Red didn't seem to question it either, probably thought the same thing. Probably only thought their fear was still from the assault. Until Frank took a glance at his rearview mirror and noticed his eyes were _glowing_. They had been glowing a deep red this entire time, which explained why the assaulter was so terrified of him. No wonder they were afraid, and of course Red wouldn't be able to notice it.

Speaking of Red, Frank noticed a few things about him throughout that entire fight. 

He knew Red was strong, no doubt about it, but strong enough to pick up two men by the collar at the same time? With their feet completely off the ground? Frank's never seen him do that before. Or maybe, he never had the chance to do so since his vision was exponentially better now. Something told Frank that his vampire instinct was starting to show him new details about Red that he'd never really seen before. 

When he dropped off Red at his place, Frank noticed something that threw him off completely. 

Red shrugged the cowl off of his head, breathing heavily from the fight earlier. Sweat covered his forehead and neck, and Frank suddenly smelled an underlying scent that came from Red. It was subtle at first… but Frank started to focus on it more and… it was something he smelled before. Similar to what he found in some parts of the woods, but stronger. 

"Are you sure you don't have any injuries?" Red asked. "I have a first aid kit inside if you need it."

Frank took a minute to find his voice. "Uh, no I'm good, thanks. It's just a couple of scrapes, I'll be fine." 

"Alright, well I'll see you around I guess," and the bastard gave him a smug grin before heading inside. Frank nodded as if nothing was distracting him. 

Once Red was gone, Frank was back in a state of limbo where the scent was starting to haunt him in a way he couldn't quite explain. He left the rooftop and shook his head, multiple possibilities floating around back and forth. 

Red had a lingering scent that Frank knew about now. It wasn't something that stuck onto his clothes or anything. No, this was Red's actual scent. 

And he smelled too much like a _wolf._

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Frank knew about werewolves. 

If vampires existed, then so did werewolves. 

Frank remembered another myth Blade told him about, the one where vampires and werewolves were sworn enemies since the very beginning. That wasn't true at all. That was just a dumb movie trope Hollywood made up to sell horror movies like hotcakes. So there wasn't going to be any issues there.

He also remembered a couple of them in the Midnight Sons, but he wasn't sure if any of them stayed in the group for long. He never really had a full experience with one like he did with other monsters. 

Marc Spector, however. 

Spector knew a werewolf.

"Oh yeah, I know a werewolf," Spector said one night when he paid a visit. "I got hired one time to hunt down Jack Russell. Turns out, my hire was a shady asshole and that Jack wasn't a bad guy. He helped me out a few times too."

At one point, Spector went through a few boxes with old Moon Knight gear and past relics. One box had a bag of torn clothing that belonged to Russell, who just forgot to pick them up at one point. Frank put his nose to the test when he picked up a sweater and— yup, it's the same strong scent that Red had. It was different in terms of who it belonged to, but it had a trait that screamed nothing but pure canine and ferocity. 

"So, umm… why are you smelling Jack Russell's sweater again?" Spector asked awkwardly. 

Frank sighed. "I think Daredevil might be a werewolf." 

"... Uh-huh. Okay then." 

"I can tell, alright? I didn't notice before back when I was still human, but now…" Frank tossed the sweater back into the box. "Either Red recently got turned into one, or he's been one this entire time." 

"Well, I've worked alongside Matt plenty of times. He never showed any… y' know, signs or anything." Spector shrugged. "If he's been a werewolf this entire time, then he must be _really_ good at hiding it."

Probably. 

But then Frank started jogging his memory again to see if there was anything that could've given him a hint. He hung out with Red plenty of times now, there had to be something. Only the memory of the dog park and the shelter gave Frank a second perspective. Dogs _loved_ Red, they couldn't get enough of him. Their days just light up the second they see him. He remembered Max and Loot introducing themselves to Red by jumping around him and wagging their tails in excitement. Frank just thought they were being overly friendly, but even Red was taken aback by it and tried to hide it with a smile. Which was funny considering how Red wasn't much of a dog person. Red told him plenty of times that he doesn't need a seeing-eye dog, how he doesn't have time for a pet, and how the smell would bother him.

Wait…

The whole werewolf thing would explain why. 

Now Frank had to figure out whether he wanted to bring it up or not. He couldn't just sit down with Red and straight up ask him if he was a werewolf. Not like that at least. Also, Frank wasn't sure if it was his place to ask anyway. Red doesn't know about Frank being a vampire, so maybe they can just keep this to themselves. 

At least, Frank had hoped it would be just that, but the world continued to fuck with him.   
  


The one night where they were taking down a gang raid and it didn't go as planned. Well, that was typical for a lot of missions, but Frank was low on stock and he started to feel the side effects. It felt like a shitty withdrawal that weighed him down, made him sloppy in his movement, and dizzy in the head. Red noticed this happening and got him out the second he heard police sirens from a few blocks away. Red dragged him away from the aftermath and through a few alleyways before they reached an empty park. Frank was out of breath, panting, and wheezing as he felt his injuries get worse as he moved. His healing factor wasn't doing too well either, especially with the lack of energy. 

"Frank!" Red snapped him out of his daze, carefully checking his injuries with his hands. "Hey! Do you want to explain yourself back there?" 

"What…?" Frank asked. The hell was Red going on about now. 

"When was your last feeding?" 

Feeding? "I… I ate a couple of hours ago…"

"No, not _that_ kind of feeding," Red said. He grabbed Frank's hand, and that was when Frank noticed that his claws were piercing out of his gloves. The entire time. "When was the last time you had blood, Frank?"   
  


Oh god damn it.   
  


Red knew.  
  


"About a month ago," Frank grunted, now noticing the way his fangs poked out a bit with his tongue. "I was gonna feed later tonight or tomorrow…" 

Red sighed, grabbing a good hold of Frank by the arm. "No wonder you reek of death. Come on, we can go hunt down a few squirrels around here or I can ask Marc to drop us off at the woods."

 _"We?"_ Frank asked. 

"Yeah, that's what I said." 

"So you are a werewolf then."

Red immediately stopped in his tracks. "Excuse me?" 

Frank scoffed. He tried to keep his head up. "Don't think I didn't notice, Red. You found out I was a vampire just now with your goddamn senses, and I had suspicions of you being an overgrown mutt because you smelled like one."

"I… wait, you were _smelling_ me?"

"Don't play dumb, asshole. You know vampires can sniff out other monsters. And you said _we_ should go to the woods, not just me as if you were implying that you also knew how to hunt." Take that, Red. 

Even behind the mask, Frank could tell Red had his eyebrows raised to his hairline. Frank was almost amused at how shocked Red looked right now, but his body wasn't laughing. He needed to get back to one hundred percent pronto.

Red didn't say anything for a while before he growled under his breath. _"God damn it…"_

Hah, the cat's out of the bag.

Well, more like the _wolf_ 's out of the bag. 

  
  


Red ended up calling Moon Knight to give them a ride to the woods outside of the city. Frank almost forgot that Spector owned some weird looking helicopter-craft thing that went faster than any other helicopter. Spector understood the emergency and gave them the solid they needed. Of course, he couldn't help but ask:

"So did Castle ask you if you were a—"

"Yes." 

"Well… are you?" 

Red gave a heavy sigh. "Yes, I am." 

"Holy shit," Spector whistled. "This whole time? I'm impressed, you hid it well." 

Spector dropped them off and offered to give them a ride back once they were done. Red thanked him and helped Frank into the woods. Frank was still hazy throughout the entire trip until the smell of fresh raccoon blood woke him up completely. He noticed he was sitting on a log and that Red dropped a dead raccoon onto his lap. Wait, did Red _just_ catch that?

"Yes, now eat," Red said and sat down next to him. 

Hey, it's free food, might as well. Frank took his time with the raccoon, sinking his teeth into flesh and taking in as much blood as possible before it went sour. He felt his injuries heal quickly by the time he was done. His head also felt a lot clearer now that the dizziness was gone. Frank went ahead and buried the small carcass while he turned to look at Red. The other man had his cowl off, so he was facing Murdock within the dark. 

"Thanks, for the raccoon." 

"Don't mention it," Red said. "I knew you wouldn't go after people, not even corrupt assholes. That's not your style." He was not looking too pleased with himself. 

Frank sighed. "Listen, I wasn't going to leak your secret out to anyone." 

"I know, it's just… it's been a while since someone knew about _that_ secret rather than the Daredevil one."

"Does your pal Nelson know?"

"Yeah, I told Foggy about it once and he didn't believe me at first, but…" Red took off one of his gloves and flexed his hand. Almost instantly, his nails grew into claws, and his hand got a bit hairy too. "Had to prove it to him. He found out about me being Daredevil, it was better he didn't find out I was a werewolf on his own either." Red's hand went back to normal and the glove was back on again. 

Frank decided to ask his questions."So were you turned into one or…?" 

Red shook his head. "Hereditary; got it from my dad's side of the family." 

Battlin' Jack Murdock was also a werewolf? Well damn, maybe it wasn't just the Devil that plagued their souls. "This whole time you were one, and no one else but your dad and Nelson knew about it?"

"Mhmm, and now you and Marc know," Red said quietly. Jesus, he looked depressed saying that.

Frank nudged him in the shoulder. "Hey, at least Spider-Man doesn't know."

Red laughed softly. "Thank _god._ I don't wanna deal with that if it ever happens." 

They went silent for a moment, listening to the crickets chirping in the foliage. Red was easing up, which was a good thing. He was getting comfortable around the topic. Might as well get it over with.

  
"Why don't you… y' know," Frank started.

"Don't I what? Shift completely?"

"Yeah." 

"I just don't want to," Red shrugged. "I've only shifted into werewolf form a couple of times in my life. It was easy as a kid, especially with my dad around. Then with the accident and my dad's death… it slipped my mind. I was too busy dealing with my heightened senses and being an orphan to think about it. The other time was probably college just for fun, but that was it. It's not like I need to anyway."

Frank frowned. "So you haven't shifted in years then?

"Nope."

"Y'know, a werewolf would be able to scare any scumbag shitless from doing crime."

"True, but it's unnecessary. Daredevil is already enough to scare them." Yeah, _sure._ "Besides, it's just… a lot to do, a lot to hold back on. I'm already hyper-aware of how much strength I put out. If I'm in full wolf mode, I could easily kill someone if I push them too hard."

"You can still kill someone if you punch them hard enough, Red." 

"That's why I don't use _all_ of my strength," Red said sternly. "We deal with regular people, Frank. Why would I waste all that energy to attack humans? It's not right and it's not necessary. I'm fine with what I have."  
  


The subject was dropped, but Frank now knew a whole lot about Red he never thought he would know. Red being a werewolf on the streets wasn't a great idea for the altar boy, so the conversation shifted into something casual. Frank learned a lot about Red's childhood of being one with his dad, how they ran around in the woods in werewolf form just for fun. It was oddly sweet. He wondered briefly how Maria and the kids would react. If Frank was turned into a vampire while they were still alive, would they still see him as the same? Or would they see him as a monster? No, don't think that. They would never— they couldn't now. They're gone. 

Frank already became a monster before the vampire incident anyway. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Ever since the night in the woods, Red insisted on working with Frank more often now. There were no more secrets behind them, and it was better that way. They worked well as a team already, now it was even better at night. They would even meet up in the woods sometimes just to experience a tranquil stalemate of some sort. Enjoy the sounds of nature and all that. Plus, Red reminded him to feed every so often, which was annoying throughout at first, but Frank understood the concern. 

Throughout their missions, there was no need to hide anymore as Frank used his stealth and Red used a little more strength than usual to get the job done. It went into a routine they started to like, and the meetups during the day weren’t as overbearing as before. 

"They missed you," Frank said as Max and Loot whined at Red's feet, begging for attention. 

Red laughed as he folded his cane and petted the two canines. "I bet they did. I'm surprised they still remembered me."

"Of course they do; I figured they smell the wolf on ya, they must think you're their kin or something."

"I guess, I don't know," Red scratched behind their ears. Max was tapping her leg against the floor and Loot gave out happy coyote noises. "Maybe I'm just likable."

 _Yeah right, like hell you are,_ Frank thought, but a certain traitorous thought wanted to prove him wrong. He shut it down completely before Red noticed. Instead of thinking about those fluttering emotions, Frank asked:

"Why don't you talk to them?" 

Red perked his head up. "I'm sorry?" 

"Yeah, just— would they be able to understand you if you said something to them?" 

Red had the most _'What in the actual hell are you talking about'_ look he's ever seen on him. Frank almost laughed, but Red just sighed. 

"I can't talk to dogs, Frank." 

"Really? I mean I thought—"

"I'm a were _wolf,_ not a weredog," Red affirmed. "Even if I tried to 'talk' to them, they're going to get scared."  
  


Alright, nevermind then. 

  
  


The scary werewolf speak was useful later on when they were infiltrating a gang territory located in an abandoned junkyard. There were a couple of angry Dobermans barking at them once they approached the gates. Frank didn't want them to cause any more noise, and neither did Red. 

"Quick, say something to them," Frank grunted at Red. 

"Wh— It's probably not going to work!" Red hissed.

"Yes, it will, if you sound pissed off enough."

Red groaned before he walked up to the wired gate, grabbed their attention, and made the most vicious wolf snarl Frank's ever heard. Shit, even he got a little bit scared. The guard dogs stopped barking in an instant, and they lowered their heads with their tails between their legs. 

Red turned around, revealing some fangs— oh well _hello there_ — when he spoke. "Alright, let's keep going." 

"Uh… right, yeah." Get a grip. 

Christ, did he actually find Red with sharp teeth hot?   
  


Red gave a small grin, walking past Frank, and made his way towards the building. 

Oh god, he most certainly did. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Frank was certain the entire universe hated him. 

One mission led to another, and now Frank was dealing with more supernatural bullshit again. Only this time, it was an even fight. A few warlocks were enough to cause chaos near the docks, and Frank wasn't having it. He went off on his own for this mission, thinking that he can handle it. It was fine for the first half, but then those nutjob warlocks called upon some dark arts crap and now Frank was getting sliced everywhere. He snarled at them, baring his fangs before going in to kill their demon henchmen. He allowed himself to let go and attack with everything he's got. They want a pissed off vampire? They're going to get one. 

Red warned him. He warned him about the dangers and insisted on coming along with him, but Frank was a stubborn bastard. He wanted to deal with this mission alone. He didn't want Red to get in the way of him killing these evil warlocks. They had to go down, and it was a fair fight, for the most part. 

Magic was a tough son of a bitch. 

Frank was about to get cornered, and he held his guns ready to take down whoever wanted to drag him to hell. He bared his fangs at the summoned demons, glaring at everyone inside with murderous intent. The lights from above suddenly went out, and it was complete darkness inside the warehouse. Frank sniffed the air and smelled something familiar… and it was much stronger than before. It had the lingering smell of dew and tree bark, while it also howled ferocity and righteous fury. Banging came from one of the walls, and the warlocks were trying to light up something just to see what it was, only for the tearing of metal to scream out. There was an array of shouting and growls that came everywhere until the demons in front of him got thrown across the area. Frank looked up to see— _holy shit._

_"Easy, Frank, it's me."_

Red was in his werewolf form.  
  


He was in his werewolf form and he was _looming_ over Frank. The Daredevil costume was torn in different areas, and yet the cowl managed to salvage itself while Red's snout stuck out. 

"Red…" 

"Hold on, I'm getting you out of here," Red growled as he snarled at any demon brave enough to approach them. 

"The mission…" 

"I called Blade and told him about the warlocks. You have too many injuries, Frank. I need to get you out of here." 

One of the warlocks wanted to be brave and tried to shoot a bolt of lightning towards Red, but the werewolf dodged it easily. In response, he grabbed one of the crates and threw it towards the warlock. Christ, Red was ridiculously strong in this form. 

"Come on!" 

Red picked up Frank in bridal style and got him out of the warehouse, not before ramming through a few more demons and breaking some warlock legs. Frank wanted to get in on the action, but he was too busy trying to stay awake at the moment. It was difficult to keep his eyes from closing when his entire body was aching everywhere. It was draining him slowly. 

"Stay with me, Frank." 

Frank didn't know why they stopped at some random rooftop. He didn't want anyone to catch the sight of a werewolf carrying an injured Punisher. The air shifted when Red lowered Frank, only for him to slice his palm with a claw. Blood began to ooze out from the cut and trickle down his wrist, staining his red fur with a darker shade.

"Red what the hell are you—"

"It's fine, just drink," Red said as he squeezed his cut palm for more blood to leak out. He moved it towards Frank's mouth, and Red's blood smelled so incredibly enticing it was almost impossible to ignore it. 

However, Frank was still a stubborn bastard. "No, Red, I can't. Not you— can't do this to you." He would never. It didn't sit right with him. He tried shoving the wrist away, but Red was insistent. 

Then came a growl. "Frank you're not well, the woods are too far and there's nothing else around here that can help you." Damn Red and his stupid martyr complex. "Please, drink."

Frank snarled in annoyance, both at Red and at himself, before taking in the blood, lapping up as much as possible from Red's cut. It tasted _amazing_ , Frank couldn't help it. It made him sick to his stomach to think that, but his injuries were rapidly healing and his body felt like his own again. Frank gave a quick swipe of his tongue over the cut before finishing, breathing heavily as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. 

Red picked him up again, and that was when Frank's head started to go against him. After drinking Red's blood, his body felt right again, but then it felt like he didn't feel a damn thing. His head felt off and a bit screw-loose, and suddenly Frank was feeling way too good. Sobriety didn't exist anymore as his mind began to swim. This was… _fuck._

Different types of blood had different effects in one way or another. Animal blood was a lot like fuel, human blood was an addiction, and demon blood was like poison. Werewolf blood was apparently like a really, _really_ strong painkiller. Ibuprofen would be put to shame if it had to compete against that. 

"Frank, you doing okay?" Red asked as they approached his place. Huh. 

"Oh yeah, I'm doing _great_ ," Frank said, grinning like an idiot. He pressed himself further against Red, into his soft fur. "You're warm." 

"Uh… okay." 

The next thing Frank knew, he was placed onto some silk sheets, a pillow underneath his head, and one underneath his back for support. He was in Red's bed, in his room, in his apartment. Frank's mind was scattered all over the place and those traitorous thoughts snuck upon him again. Now he was wishing for Red to hurry up with whatever he was doing and join him in the bed because god damn it, it's been too long. Too long since he was touched by another person, too long since someone gave a shit about him in a way no one would be able to. Being around Red made him feel more human than before.   
  


"Wait… did you mean that?"   
  


Wait… 

Did he say that out loud? 

Uh oh.

The cowl was off and Frank got to see Red's wolf eyes. Instead of hazel, they were a bright amber that practically glowed in the darkness. His pupils were still unresponsive and vacant, but that didn't matter to Frank. 

"Frank, did you mean that?" 

"Yes…" Frank said without thinking, grabbing a clawed hand and placing it against his cheek, just to tease him. "I did." Red's hand was bigger than Frank's head, he could practically crush his skull with it. Frank was not opposed to the idea, however. 

Red hummed before he gently patted Frank's cheek fondly. "Get some sleep."

"Not until you join me." 

"Frank…"

"Come on, there's room." 

Red rolled his eyes, taking off a few shreds of fabric before settling onto the bed, the mattress creaking from the sudden weight. Good, there was more warmth now. Frank couldn't help but inch closer to the source of heat, and sleep got to him quickly before he laughed at his tail, or tried to give Red a goodnight kiss on the nose or something. 

  
  
  


The morning light came in through the windows and Frank woke up with a much clearer head than last night. 

The injuries from last night were completely gone, with no scars left behind. Frank stretched slightly, satisfied with the easy crack of muscles and bones. Alright, he was back to himself again. He looked to the side after noticing the extra space. Matt was back to his human self again, still dressed in the ripped fabrics of the Daredevil costume and still asleep. The other man was breathing slowly and didn't move a muscle in his sleep. He was peacefully dead to the world. 

Frank was worried about waking him, but he noticed that Matt wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon. He looked like he'd been run over by a truck, his hair was a mess, and his eyes were sunken. He needed more than just sleep. 

After leaving the bedroom, Frank at first thought it was best to leave. But the events from last night reminded him of his stupid little confession and Frank felt flustered all over again. That's right, Matt knew now. However, he wasn't upset about it last night, and he did offer Frank his bed. Shit. Frank went into the kitchen to start up the coffee machine and make breakfast. It was the least he can do after Matt saved his ass. 

Once breakfast was done, Frank decided to go wake up Matt. If the coffee machine hadn't woken him up yet, then Frank will be the one to do it. When he went to go check up on him, Red still didn't move from his spot. 

"Hey, come on, I made breakfast," Frank shook him gently. "Wake up, Red." 

A pained groan came from the other man, and Matt opened his eyes. Christ, he looked terrible. The bloodshot eyes and bags were enough to tell. "Hmm…?" 

"You alright?" 

"Hng… body hurts," Matt rasped as he plopped his head back onto the pillow. He mumbled something that sounded nothing close to coherency before saying "Not used to it…" 

What did he mean by that… oh, that's right. 

The last time Matt shifted was _years_ ago. 

His body wasn't used to it that well. No wonder he looked like hell.  
  


"It's alright, go back to sleep," Frank said, pulling the covers over him before leaving him alone. 

Frank waited until it was almost noon to make another batch of eggs and toast for a sandwich. He added some ham and sausages in there too, knowing Matt needed the protein. He was glad he can still eat regular food like a person and not only sustain himself with blood. There was still a lot he needed to learn. 

Frank set up a plate for Matt and checked around the kitchen for anything that can substitute for a tray. He found an old one in one of the pantries and decided to go for it. No need to force the man out of bed if his body wasn't going to cooperate with him. Frank set the tray onto the night table briefly before he noticed Matt moving around slightly and groaning again. Alright, that was a good sign. 

"Hey easy," Frank said as he helped Matt sit up. "Don't strain yourself."

"Mm'not," Matt huffed. He took a minute to stretch and Frank heard more cracks and pops that were humanly possible. He rolled his shoulders before Frank handed him a glass of water. He must've been dehydrated if Matt was chugging it down as if his life depended on it. 

"You think you can eat anything?" 

Matt wiped his mouth. "Yeah, I can try to eat something." His voice sounded a lot better than earlier, so there was an improvement. 

Frank sat next to Matt as he devoured his sandwich, thinking about what to say after he was done. He can always bring up what happened last night, but Matt seemed to know what was on his mind.   
  


"So, about last night…" 

Frank shifted in his spot. "Yeah, I uh… listen, it doesn't have to be a big deal—"

"Frank, hear me out, _"_ Matt said, almost in amusement. "I wanted to ask if you _really_ meant what you said. I know you were a little uh… out of it after you drank my blood." 

"Werewolf blood's one hell of a pain killer, Red."

"Well, I know that now."

"And yeah… I meant what I said," Frank said, facing him. "I wouldn't have admitted it like how I did last night, but that was pretty much the truth." 

Matt had this look on his face, one that Frank didn't recognize from before. It was a soft, content look that made him want a lot more now. "Then I guess that makes two of us." 

Wait so then…

Oh.

_Oh._

Frank didn't know what else to say, so he leaned in and kissed Matt. The chapped lips and stubble made him deepen the kiss, and a low rumble came from Matt that pulled Frank closer to him. Frank wondered if the taste of Matt's blood was still lingering in his mouth and if he could taste himself. It was a simple, languid kiss that didn't last very long. They broke apart as soon as it started, but Frank was pleased with himself. So was Matt. 

"Your teeth are a little sharp," Frank mentioned. 

"So are yours," Matt flashed a grin and Frank was glad he was sitting down. "But I'm not complaining." 

Frank smiled. "Me neither." 

A vampire and werewolf together. It sounded crazy, but hey, this was their life now. Frank needed to ask Blade to teach him how to shapeshift into a wolf soon. It would be worth it just to see the look on Matt's face once he got the hang of it.

  
  


Maybe running around in the woods can be one of their favorite pastimes. 


End file.
